A Qualitative Tool for Detecting and Approaching Psychological Trauma in Children Victims of the 2009 Italian Earthquake

Expressive therapies are considered effective intervention modalities with children who have experienced traumatic events such as natural disasters. Particularly, drawing consent to trauma affected children to convey the complexity of traumatic feelings by giving them a shape and a sense. But the efficacy of art therapies with children exposed to natural disasters, has not been research proved. This chapter present an exploratory and pilot study on the use of the specific technique “Test de trois dessins: avant, pendant et avenir” (Three Pictures Test: Past, Present, and Future), which may accomplish the double function of diagnostic instrument, for detecting the presence of psychological trauma, and therapeutic technique, for facilitating recovery from psychological distress, with children exposed to natural disasters. The graphic tool has been employed with children victims of the Italian earthquake which affected the region of Abruzzi, on the 6th April 2009. The case studies analysis illustrates the efficacy of the test in both detecting the presence and the extent of the psychological trauma, and in enhancing the trauma recovery process. Further researches need to be done in order to validate the use of the “Three Pictures Test: Past, Present, and Future” as a validated technique with children experiencing disasters

A Landscape Approach for Detecting and Assessing Changes in an Area Prone to Desertification in Sardinia (Italy)

Land degradation and desertification processes represent a serious problem in many areas of Sardinia (Italy), as in the Nurra region where urbanization, overgrazing, and fires have induced environmental degradation and rapid land-use change. In this study, using satellite remote sensing and geographical information system, landcover and landscape change dynamics were investigated. Comparing two Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper, it was possible to assess landcover transformations, and with the FRAGSTATS software it was possible to quantify the changes of landscape characteristics in the Nurra region over a 10-years period. The images were classified into seven landcover types, and a stepwise indicator approach was adopted. The results show a decrease in cropland and an increase of forestland and urban areas. The overall change was estimated to be about 2.5% of the total study area, with two most frequent landcover conversion types: cropland to urban areas and cropland to forestland

Chemical communication between synthetic and natural cells: a possible experimental design

The bottom-up construction of synthetic cells is one of the most intriguing and interesting research arenas in synthetic biology. Synthetic cells are built by encapsulating biomolecules inside lipid vesicles (liposomes), allowing the synthesis of one or more functional proteins. Thanks to the in situ synthesized proteins, synthetic cells become able to perform several biomolecular functions, which can be exploited for a large variety of applications. This paves the way to several advanced uses of synthetic cells in basic science and biotechnology, thanks to their versatility, modularity, biocompatibility, and programmability. In the previous WIVACE (2012) we presented the state-of-the-art of semi-synthetic minimal cell (SSMC) technology and introduced, for the first time, the idea of chemical communication between synthetic cells and natural cells. The development of a proper synthetic communication protocol should be seen as a tool for the nascent field of bio/chemical-based Information and Communication Technologies (bio-chem-ICTs) and ultimately aimed at building soft-wet-micro-robots. In this contribution (WIVACE, 2013) we present a blueprint for realizing this project, and show some preliminary experimental results. We firstly discuss how our research goal (based on the natural capabilities of biological systems to manipulate chemical signals) finds a proper place in the current scientific and technological contexts. Then, we shortly comment on the experimental approaches from the viewpoints of (i) synthetic cell construction, and (ii) bioengineering of microorganisms, providing up-to-date results from our laboratory. Finally, we shortly discuss how autopoiesis can be used as a theoretical framework for defining synthetic minimal life, minimal cognition, and as bridge between synthetic biology and artificial intelligence.Comment: In Proceedings Wivace 2013, arXiv:1309.712

Fluid statics of a self-gravitating perfect-gas isothermal sphere

We open the paper with introductory considerations describing the motivations of our long-term research plan targeting gravitomagnetism, illustrating the fluid-dynamics numerical test case selected for that purpose, that is, a perfect-gas sphere contained in a solid shell located in empty space sufficiently away from other masses, and defining the main objective of this study: the determination of the gravitofluid-static field required as initial field ($t=0$) in forthcoming fluid-dynamics calculations. The determination of the gravitofluid-static field requires the solution of the isothermal-sphere Lane-Emden equation. We do not follow the habitual approach of the literature based on the prescription of the central density as boundary condition; we impose the gravitational field at the solid-shell internal wall. As the discourse develops, we point out differences and similarities between the literature's and our approach. We show that the nondimensional formulation of the problem hinges on a unique physical characteristic number that we call gravitational number because it gauges the self-gravity effects on the gas' fluid statics. We illustrate and discuss numerical results; some peculiarities, such as gravitational-number upper bound and multiple solutions, lead us to investigate the thermodynamics of the physical system, particularly entropy and energy, and preliminarily explore whether or not thermodynamic-stability reasons could provide justification for either selection or exclusion of multiple solutions. We close the paper with a summary of the present study in which we draw conclusions and describe future work.Comment: 32 pages, 26 figure

A case of ovarian psammocarcinoma with homolateral serous cystoadenofibroma and thecoma associated with Brenner tumour and cystoadenofibroma of the contralateral ovary

Psammocarcinoma of the ovary is a rare serous neoplasm, with only 32 cases reported in the international literature. Characteristically, this tumour shows extensive formation ofpsammoma bodies, low-grade cytological features, and invasion of the ovarian stroma, peritoneum or intraperitoneal viscera. The behaviour of this entity is unpredictable, with benign, low malignant and metastatic potential. Herein the authors report a case ofpsammocarcinoma of the ovary with homolateral serous cystoadenofibroma and thecoma, which were associated with Brenner tumour and adenofibroma of the contralateral ovary, in a 78-year-old woman. Thus, this example shows an unpredictable tumour associated with multiple benign epithelial neoplasms and a benign stromal tumour. Moreover, this example of psammocarcinoma is very interesting because it measures only 1.5 x 0.5 x 1.5 cm and, to the best of the author's knowledge, represents the smallest case ofpsammocarcinoma described so far in the literature

Credit constraints for SMEs in the Italian Mezzogiorno: which role for Mutual Loan-Guarantee Consortia?

This paper focuses on the perspective role of Mutual Loan-Guarantee Consortia (MLGC) in mitigating credit constraints for SMEs located in the Italian Mezzogiorno. First, we argue how the functioning of MLGC fits into the theory of bank-firm relationships, also referring to the scarce empirical evidence on the issue. Second, we evaluate the weakness – in terms of size, volume of activity, patrimonial requirements and guaranteed loans – of the Southern MLGC system. We then provide insights on the impact of the novelties introduced by the New Basel Capital Accord (Basel II) on MLGC’s activity. Finally, we conclude for the need of public support to MLGC in the Mezzogiorno in order to enhance their function of facilitating the matching of demand and supply in the credit market.Consorzi Fidi, razionamento del credito, Mezzogiorno, rapporto banca-impresa

Vitamin D Deficiency in Cushing's Disease: Before and After Its Supplementation

Background: The primary objective of the study was to assess serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] values in patients with Cushing's disease (CD), compared to controls. The secondary objective was to assess the response to a load of 150,000 U of cholecalciferol. Methods: In 50 patients with active CD and 48 controls, we evaluated the anthropometric and biochemical parameters, including insulin sensitivity estimation by the homeostatic model of insulin resistance, Matsuda Index and oral disposition index at baseline and in patients with CD also after 6 weeks of cholecalciferol supplementation. Results: At baseline, patients with CD showed a higher frequency of hypovitaminosis deficiency (p = 0.001) and lower serum 25(OH)D (p < 0.001) than the controls. Six weeks after cholecalciferol treatment, patients with CD had increased serum calcium (p = 0.017), 25(OH)D (p < 0.001), ISI-Matsuda (p = 0.035), oral disposition index (p = 0.045) and decreased serum PTH (p = 0.004) and total cholesterol (p = 0.017) values than at baseline. Multivariate analysis showed that mean urinary free cortisol (mUFC) was independently negatively correlated with serum 25(OH)D in CD. Conclusions: Serum 25(OH)D levels are lower in patients with CD compared to the controls. Vitamin D deficiency is correlated with mUFC and values of mUFC > 240 nmol/24 h are associated with hypovitaminosis D. Cholecalciferol supplementation had a positive impact on insulin sensitivity and lipids